Electric street lighting in Havana began on March 3, 1889, utilizing arc lamps powered by the Tallapiedra plant, marking the start of regular electric service in the city. Electricity's Early Footprint Across CubaContrary to Havana's claim, other sources suggest that Cárdenas, in the province of Matanzas, was the first Cuban city with electric street lighting, dating back to September 1889. By 1893, the city of Pinar del Río also had electric lighting. In the introduction to The Golden Age (1889), he mentioned “electric light” as a symbol of scientific progress, and in his chronicles from New York, he exclaimed: “Beautiful electric light! In 1889, as Martí wrote about the light transforming the world, Havana was unveiling its first electric street lighting.